Chapter 4

Nobody's Safe

Sydney grabbed open the front door of the building and they raced towards where the screams and gunfire had come from. They could hear breaking glass as Gage pounded on the door yelling, "Texas Rangers open up."

The only response was more breaking glass as the perps made their escape. Syd pushed herself against the wall as Gage brought his foot up hard against the door breaking the lock and the door swinging open. There were two men escaping through the patio doors and Gage gave chase as Syd fell to her knees beside a young woman she judged to be about her age who lay bleeding on the floor.

"Lay still," she cautioned the woman pulling her phone making a quick call for the EMTs and back up.

"They were going to kill me," the woman choked out grasping tightly to Sydney as she spoke.

"Shh lay back," Syd ordered again applying pressure to the gunshot wound. Suddenly she heard more gunfire, her head snapped up to look to where she had last seen Gage. She wanted desperately to go after her partner to make sure he was all right knowing she couldn't leave this woman either. The seconds crawled by, the sirens were sounding in the distance and Gage appeared in the doorway panting slightly from the chase.

Syd closed her eyes a second seeing her husband standing there before turning her attention back to the woman on the floor. Gage had started back over to where his wife was when his eyes caught sight of someone peering at them from a partially closed door.

Going towards the door it suddenly slammed closed the person on the other side trying to hide from him. Pushing open the door Gage let his eyes scan the room that was seemingly empty except for a small rustling from beneath the bed. Walking to the bed he bent down to look beneath it to be met by the face of a small blonde haired child who was hiding there.

"Hi," Gage smiled at the terrified child, "What are you doing under there?"

"Hiding from the bad men like Mommy told me to do," the child told him.

"Is that your Mommy who got hurt?" Gage asked knowing the little boy had seen Sydney on the floor with the injured woman.

The boy slowly shook his head yes.

"Did you want to come out and maybe we can see what's going on with your Mom?" Gage asked reaching his hand towards the boy.

The child wiggled further from his reach and Gage drew his hand back.

"I'm sorry," Gage said seeing the terror in the boy's eyes, "I forgot to introduce myself I'm Ranger Gage and you are?"

"Jake Eastman and I'm three," Jake told Gage. "Do you have a real Ranger badge?"

"Sure do pinned right here to my shirt. If you come out from there I'll show you," Gage enticed the boy.

The EMTs had arrived to look after the woman; Sydney had come to the bedroom door to see what her partner was doing. She came inside just in time to see Gage lift the boy to the bed to sit beside him.

"Hi whom do we have here?" she asked as both Gage and Jake looked up.

"Hi Syd," Gage replied, "This here is Jake Eastman that was his Mommy that got hurt out there." Turning to Jake Gage told him, "This is my partner Ranger Cooke."

"A girl ranger?" Jake asked making a face at Gage as if he didn't believe him.

"Yeah a girl ranger," Sydney said walking towards the pair of them asking Gage, "Is this a guy thing?"

"Do you have a Ranger badge like Ranger Gage?" Jake asked before Gage could answer Syd.

"Right here," she told him pointing at her badge.

"Is my mommy okay?" Jake suddenly asked.

Gage's eyes went to Syd's as he watched her crouch in front of the child and take his hand in hers. "Your Mom got shot Jake and I'm really not sure how bad," she began. "I do know that the emergency people are helping her right now and they are going to take her to the hospital."

"Hey Gage Sydney who you got here?" Trivette asked from the doorway.

"This is Jake Eastman," Gage told Trivette as Sydney's phone rang. She pulled it from her pocket and turned to answer it.

"Why don't I call Erica and you guys can drop him off at the Hope Center before you go back…" Trivette didn't have a chance to finish they were interrupted by Sydney crying into the phone, "How bad? Where are you taking him? We're on our way."

"Sydney?" Gage had moved right in front of her taking her by the arms.

"Gage it was the school, we got to go," Syd was almost beside herself trying to pull away from Gage as she spoke.

"Syd what is it?" Gage was still trying to find out what had happened.

"Gage it's Chris they're taking him to Memorial," she shouted at him why couldn't he understand that.

The words sank in and Gage did understand his arm went around her shoulder guiding her out of the apartment to the car. "What happened Syd?" he was asking as he pulled the car door open.

Syd slid across the seat as Gage got in behind her starting the car as she began to talk. "He was in some sort of fight and they think his arm might be broken, Gage please hurry," she cried as Gage punched it to the floor.

With lights flashing they screeched to a halt in front of the emergency doors both jumping out running inside to the desk. "Christian Gage," Syd choked out at the nurse.

"Let me check when would he have been brought in?" the nurse began going down the list she had in front of her. "Are you related to the patient?" she continued.

"Yes we're his parents," Gage was all but shouting at the woman.

"Gage Sydney."

They both turned hearing their names called to see a friend Tom Hamilton from DPD standing there.

"Tom?" Gage questioned surprised to see him.

"I came in with Chris," he told them both.

"What happened Tom?" Gage asked.

"From what I can gather the soccer ball went across the street and Chris went to get it. There were three older bigger kids laying in wait for him who attacked him."

"My God," Syd's voice was barely above a whisper as Tom's words sank in. Her son had been attacked and beaten by three kids who were waiting for him. "Gage I want to see him, I want to see him now."

"Mr. and Mrs. Gage I'm Doctor Casey," a voice came from behind them. Both swung around to face the doctor. "I've been looking after Chris since he was brought in."

"How is he?" Gage asked as he held Syd tight.

"Not too bad considering the beating he took," Doctor Casey informed them.

Tears were all ready running down Sydney's cheeks before the doctor told them the extent of Chris' injuries.

"His arm is broken and he has received several bruises and contusions on his face and upper body. There doesn't seem to be any sign of concussion but we would like to keep him over night just to make sure," Doctor Casey recited to them.

"Can we see him?" Syd got out letting Gage pull her a little closer. Doctor Casey cleared his throat, "What's wrong, what is it?" Syd questioned panic crossing her face.

"He said he just wanted to see just his Dad it was really important," the doctor told them.

"I… he doesn't want to see me?" Sydney asked she couldn't believe Chris didn't want to see her.

Gage turned her towards him and placing a hand on each of her arms began to quietly speak to her. "I'll see what's going on with him it's probably just his pride hurt okay Honey?"

"Okay," she choked back letting him kiss her before going with the doctor. She stood in the middle of the hall as Gage disappeared to where their son was.

"Hey partner how you doing?" Gage asked going to where Chris was laying trying not to make too much of the bruises on his son's face.

"Where's Mom?" Chris asked taking his father's hand.

"She's outside, she's really worried about you, did you want me to get her for you?"

"In a minute Dad I have to talk to you first man to man," Chris informed him trying to be brave.

"Okay Chris I'm listening," Gage replied unable to imagine what he might have to tell him.

"You have to look after Mom," Chris began.

"I think Mom can look after herself Chris," Gage started to say.

"No Dad listen," Chris cried out a real fear in his eyes. "Those guys that beat me up were looking for me. They said if I didn't make Piper shut up at school and do what David Stewart said that they would come after Mom. They said that there were more then just them that could get the job done."

"Shh Chris, it's all right," Gage told him sitting on the edge of the bed and clutching his child to him. "I'm not going to let anything happen to any of you," he tried to soothe his son.

"Okay Dad," Chris rested in his arms.

"Would it be all right for me to get Mom now?" Gage asked still holding tight to his son.

"Yeah Dad I want Mom," Chris got out as tears rolled down his little cheek.

"She's just outside," Gage assured him gently laying him back in the bed and wiping a tear from his eye.

Chris nodded his head and Gage leaned down to kiss him before going to get his wife.

Sydney stood rigidly against the wall waiting for Gage to appear. "Syd Honey," Gage called to her putting his arms around her as she came to him. "He wants you, I'll explain everything to you once he's sleeping."

She shook her head in agreement wanting nothing more for now then to hold her son.

"Chris?" Syd gently called to her son.

"Mommy," Chris cried back and she ran to him wrapping her arms around him holding him as close as she could.

"I'm so sorry this happened to you Chris," she whispered her lips brushing the top of his head.

"It's okay Mom, can you stay with me for a little while?"

"Yeah Honey as long as you want I'll stay with you," she told him watching his eyes close as he snuggled closer to her.

The Stewart Home

"David come down here now." David heard his father shout up the stairs to him. He dropped the book he had been reading and raced down the stairs to where John Stewart stood waiting for him.

"Yes Dad?" David dutifully asked.

"Come into my office," John ordered gripping tightly to David's shoulder as if he had any other choice.

As the door closed behind them it was all David could do to keep from visibly shaking in fear of his father.

"David I want you to know that this is the first and last problem of yours that I will clean up for you," John began.

David swallowed hard wondering what on earth his father was talking about. He knew one thing for sure what ever his Dad had done it would not be good.

"Your problem with the Gage children has been looked after…" his father was interrupted before he could go on by a knocking on the door. "What is it?" he bellowed.

The door opened and one of his associates stepped in and going to him relayed a message to him. A rage manifested itself across John Stewart's face as he turned to David yelling, "Get out David I have business to attend to."

David didn't have to be told twice he raced from the room and to the stairs but not before hearing his father shout out, "I told you to warn her not kill her."